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The old carrier is getting too small for them and too heavy for us to carry them in the front. It's been killing our back. Since, they both like to be carried, we started to look for other alternatives besides strollers. We came across several ones at BabiesRus, but this is the one we got. We are still testing it to see, but so far Arie loves it. She giggles and talks so much when we carry her with it. We haven't taken a long walk yet to see if we can handle their weight on our shoulder. I am sure more pictures will come with them riding in it.
Posted by Winnie 1:39 PM

We took advantage of the nice weather and went out with the kids for lunch. We were going to go to Santa Monica, but our friend, Steve was coming to visit us and the kids. So, we went to the nearby mall in Manhattan beach and had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen - CPK. To avoid the crowd, we got there before 11:30am. Max was so good that he slept the whole time we were eating. Arie sat quietly with the help of the pacifier as we were both enjoying our salad and pizza. In order to keep Arie occupied, we gave her a little bit of bread to munch on. She was happy and satisfied. After lunch, we walked around inside and outside the mall. While we were walking, we met a couple who were also walking their twin girls. They are 1 month older than ours and they have more hair. We talked about how our babies have grown, and we all agreed that things are definitely easier than before. We have a lot in common as far as taking care of our kids, we even had the same doctor - Dr. Tabsh. Wow...it's amazing how many couples with twins were delivered by Dr. Tabsh. Again, it was interesting to hear other parents are going through the same experiences as us.

Anyway, Steve and his brother arrived a little after we got home from the mall, and it was great seeing them both again. The kids were a little apprehensive with them at first, but they soon felt at ease. They didn't get to stay too long, because they had to go to a wedding reception with their parents. Too bad...we weren't able to hang out with him. Hopefully, we get to meet up with him soon.
Posted by Winnie 9:58 PM

I posted some pictures from the BBQ party at my friend's place.
Posted by Winnie 3:06 PM

Martha was out on Monday and Tuesday this week, and we had to re-arrange our work schedules so that we could stay home with the kids. Even though, my mom said she could handle them by herself, but it would be too much work though. Martha has been having back pain and also irregular hear beats. Now, she is on medication, but she still needs to go back to the doctor for further consultation. Initially, Martha was going to take off just Monday, but they needed to monitor her for longer. We were a little panic when we didn't hear from her after Monday night. We called her cell and contacted her friends; no one seemed to be able to reach her. Until her brother called on Tuesday, we then found out that she was ok. Luckily, Aunt Jenny was able to come and help us out in the afternoon. I went in to work late, and Jim came home early for two days. So, it worked out.
Posted by Winnie 3:04 PM

We are a little behind on updating the blog. Grandma Dorcia, thank you so much for the gifts. We received two boxes full of gifts - baby clothes, cookies for Jim, and a bunch of Jafra cosmetic products. It was like Christmas all over again. Thank you soooo much, mom!!! I tried the volumizing shampoo and conditioner, and they are great. Jafra's baby line is great too, and we love the smell of the bath soap and cream.
On Sunday, we celebrated Easter with our family at a dim sum restaurant and followed by a Chinese movie at our place. It was nice seeing everyone again, it's been a while. The kids seemed to remember their aunts and uncles. We had to feed the kids at the restaurant, and it was a mistake to bring a new baby food that they never had before. We brought 'Spinach and Carrots', and they didn't like it at all. They didn't seem to be satisfied after we fed them the bottles either. So, we gave them some of the sweet soft tofu dessert we ordered. Well, we had to soak the tofu in the water first, because it's way too sweet for them. They loved it. John and Jim spent most of the time playing playstation instead of watching the movie with us while the kids were napping.
Posted by Winnie 12:27 PM

We did a lot today, considering we mostly spent our Saturday at home or around our neighborhood. First, we went out to eat at Rascals, our favorite Turkey burger restaurant, with the kids. We got there early to avoid the crowd, since we knew that we would be taking up a lot of space with our strollers and everything. It was nice to be able to eat out, instead of eating take-out at home. We even let the kids try some of our food, and they had the cutest expression every time they tried a food they never had before. Then, we had to stop by our other favorite (out of necesity) place, BabiesRus. We wanted to look for a different baby carrier, the kind you wear like a backpack. Also, we had to get some new nipples to replace the old ones. As we were looking and checking out different backpacks, a couple stopped us and asked if our kids were twins. We then started comparing notes and tips from diapers and strollers to formulas. Their twins?girls are 1 month old and still in the NICU. We later found out their names ?Mike and Tina. Here are some clips from our conversation:

Tina: Were they born at UCLA Santa Monica? My girls have the same pacifiers.
Jim: Yes Yes...Dr. Tabsh??
Tina: Yes?Oh my gosh?.do you know Stephanie?
Winnie: Oh..yes…she was my nurse and she is absolutely the best. I stayed there for 7 weeks before they were born. My daughter, Arie had to stay in the NICU for 3 weeks prior coming home with us.
Tina: Me too... stayed there for 49 days and it was so boring. We should be bringing our babies home in a week or so.
Winnie: Well, let me give you my email and feel free to email me if you have questions.
After looking at the email address?
Tina: Are you Winnie Castor from HLHZ ? Do you know Susan M.? I am Tina, Susan's sister-in-law.
Winnie: Oh yeah...you are the one who emailed me about finding a nanny. What a small world!!!

I couldn't believe it. I guess all parents do their shopping at BabiesRus, and no wonder they are always so busy. They live in West L.A. and they said the one in Torrance is the closet one in Los Angeles. It was so nice getting to meet parents who are going through the same things as Jim and I did. We wish them luck, and we had to tell them that it is tough for the first 3 months, but things will get better.
Later that day in the late afternoon, we put on their protective gear ?hats, sun block, and their new sunglasses and took the kids out for a walk. The weather was so nice, but just a little windy.

Posted by Winnie 9:15 PM

I took a day off because Martha had a Dr. appointment. We have been asked many times to take our kids to work, so our co-workers could meet them. Since, Jim’s office at Nissan is only 15 minutes away from home, I decided to take them to meet him for lunch. My mom came along with Max and Arie, and we met all Jim’s co-workers. The kids got so curious with everything they saw and the people they met. We hung around his office for a while and met with all his friends. Then, we ate at Mitsuwa, and Arie slept the whole time we were eating. Some day soon Jim is going bring the kids to my office, but it might be a little too far. But, we will see….
Posted by Winnie 8:39 PM

I got the call at about 6:15 AM. I was already at work. I had waken up early because Martha had to go in for a Dr. appointment, and I was going to drop her off at the bus stop. I was tired, really tired. Max was rolling all over the bed during the night and didn't sleep from about 2:45 til 4:45 AM. When she called, her first words were, "Guess what happened?" I said "What?" It was too early for guessing games. "Max fell off the bed!," she said and I heard some soft crying in the background. I said, "Are you kidding!!!" No, she wasn't kidding. After I left, Max rolled and rolled and rolled right off the bed. slipping between the bed and a chair we have next to it. Winnie said she heard a boom followed by crying. At first she thought she was dreaming, but soon figured out she wasn't. It took her a few seconds to find him because he was under the chair. She had to pull him out by his little legs. He cried for a while, and the good news is that he didn't get hurt! How lucky!
Posted by Max 2:17 PM

Well, it's almost summer. So, to help protect their little eyes, Jim got a pair of sunglasses for the kids at babiesRus. Arie just loves wearing them as you can see in the pictures, but Max refused to wear them as he would rather eat them or stick them up in his noses. Here are the pictures.
Posted by Winnie 10:09 PM

Max’s bottom front teeth are finally coming in and they are not completely out yet. We can feel it when we put fingers in his month. (Ouch…that hurts..) His teeth are coming in later than Aries’. She got hers when she turns 7 months old, and they are fully visible now. I was hoping that the drooling would stop after their teeth come in, but it doesn't seem like that would stop anytime soon.
Posted by Winnie 2:38 PM

My friends Fony, Tracy, and Bonnie at work invited us to their BBQ party at noon yesterday. It was the kids' first party to a non-family / unfamiliar place. We started getting ready for this event at 11am - packing food, bottles, clothes, diapers, and toys. Actually, it took us longer to dress them up and get them ready than Jim and I combined. I used to take at least 20 minutes to get ready, but now I take no more than 5 minutes. It's amazing how we've changed. We didn't get to their apartment till 1:30pm, well..we got lost on the way there. I made 'Island style macaroni salad' and brought it to the party. To our surprise, the kids behaved quite well and they weren't afraid of strangers. We brought the walker and the baby bjorn with us, in case they got fussy. They let my friends hold and played with them. Max got a little flirty with Bonnie..hehe...he couldn't stop giggling whenever she smiled to him. Arie liked Tracy a lot, and she wouldn't let Fony hold her. They cooked so much food, wait..They heated up a lot of food from Costco, and Tracy's mom marinated tons of meat - ribs and chicken tenders. They ended up using 2 of their George Foreman Grills to grill all the meat, instead of using their new grill they bought for the party since they didn't have any lighter fluid. We left the party at about 4 pm before the kids changed their happy and friendly mood, plus they didn't have a nap all afternoon...so who knows what might have happened if we stayed longer. Both of them fell asleep immediately in the car on the way back home. Arie still had a tough time getting comfortable in the car seat. Max just loves to ride in the car or even stroller. Anyway, we all had fun at the party and can't wait to do it again.
Posted by Winnie 6:26 PM

Wow! another special feature...designed just for our readers. Click here to see how Max has changed since he was born. I will hurry up and finish Arie's for next week so stay tuned.
Posted by Max 10:45 PM

We had to adjust our clocks on Sunday to 1 hour early. It is always tough for me to get up early, now I have to get up even earlier. Time change hasn't been much of a problem for the kids, but they seem to be getting up earlier instead of later. Max is still keeping his 8pm bedtime, and Arie still goes to bed around 9pm. The nice thing about changing our clock an hour early is that the sun is still out when I leave work now. It makes me feel like I get to be home early.
Posted by Winnie 9:27 PM

Well, my mother just left on Sunday after a three week visit. It was really great having her out here. I just wish I had more time to spend with her during her visit. Hopefully she didn't mind how we blantantly took advantage of her good nature and willingness to watch our babies :) In case she is reading (I am sure she is our principle reader) we really appreaciate all of your help, and come back soon! Hopefully, Winnie and I will go back to Indiana for a visit this summer. It would be our first trip with the kids. Oh, and by the way Mom...the apple pie is almost gone...please send more :)
Posted by Max 8:38 AM

Check them out.
Posted by Winnie 5:56 PM

Hey Everyone (I am assuming people are actually reading this) it is time to make some visual changes to the blog. The babies are getting older and their blog needs a more mature look. I added a new sidebar and a couple new features recently. If any of you have any ideas about what to change or things you would like to see, leave a comment or send an e-mail. I look forward to getting some good suggestions.
Posted by Max 2:09 PM

This is not so much a blog update as it is a public service announcement. Max is starting to get his teeth (a fact that I am sure Winnie will celebrate in a future blog). So, when I was at the store the other day, I found these things called teething biscuits. They are these really hard biscuits that babies can chew on to relieve their teething discomfort. Apparently, they are supposed to just dissolve and not break apart. I was worried that they might bite off a piece and choke on it. But come on, would they sell a product like this that could pose a choking hazard to babies...well...yes! Maybe I don't understand the actual purpose of the teething biscuit. There aren't really any directions on the box except for a statement that says feed them sitting up. There is no age requirement. I figured if your baby is teething, then this is the product. To see what happened when Max tried these out click here.
Posted by Max 2:03 PM

We have just started feeding the kids baby food that contains meat last week. So far, they have only tried turkey and chicken baby food by Gerber and Earth's Best. Earth's Best is organic certified, so there is no artificial colors, and no preservatives. They both like the sweet potato chicken dinner, but they still prefer fruits over meat especially bananas or pears. We also make vegetable baby food for them - carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, etc. But, we have yet to try making meat dishes for them. If we got time this weekend, maybe we will look up some baby food recipe. Grandma Dorcia is going back to Indiana this Sunday. I am sure we will all miss her a lot, especially Max. She has been taking Max out for a walk almost everyday since she's been here, sometimes even twice a day. Max loves to take a ride in the stroller.
Posted by Winnie 10:07 PM

They never did use them that much until recently. Now, it seems like they can't go without it when they play or sleep or ride in the car. They don't really use them for sucking, but like to chew them instead. We got many different kinds - Evenflo, Avent, etc. Their favorite one is still the first one they got when they were born in the hospital. The hospital's pacifier is not available at baby store, but we were able to find them online. They actually prefer them over the teething toys for relieving their teething discomfort. They have both developed a way to use them by putting their thumbs inside the pacifier, so that they can have a better grip. How smart!!!
Posted by Winnie 8:46 PM